Folding tooth-brush.



F. E. KRESS.

FOLDING TOOTH BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1909.

I WITNESSES: I [NV m I M aim;

xrllais Arman iiniirnn earns Parana were FRANK E. KBESS OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

Former-e roorrr-enusn.

ceases.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. Knees, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Folding T ooth-Brush, of which the following is a specification;

My invention relates to tooth-brushes; and the main object is to provide an efiicient, convenient and sanitary toothbrush of such construction that it may readily be folded and the brush proper concealed ina casing fixed on the handle.

In the accompanying drawing Fi re 1 is a face view of my improved tooth rush in unfolded position. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1 with a portion of the casin broken away to expose the brush in its folded position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged right end section on the line (I /a1 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line bb of Fig. 2, or about the same as line b-?) in Fi 3.

Fig. 5 is an'enlarged side elevation 0 the lower portion of the handle to the right in F 1g. 2; the hinged sides of the casing being removed. Fig. 6 is a section on t e line c-'c of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a perspective detailview of a shield-or apron closing the inlet for the coil spring seen in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, the toothbrush roperis made up of the regular bristle tuf fs 1, and late or head 2 in which they 'aresecure Said head is in any suitable manner secured in a cavity 3 of a pan-shaped plate 4 which may.

provided with a groove 9 in which is held' a rivet 10 a sprin 11, whose longest arm presses against theace 12 of the section '5 when the sections are unfolded, and upon the face 13 when they are folded'to the.posi-.

tion shown in dotted lines'in the upper portion of Fig. 2. T e section 5 is strengthened by a rib 14, w ich when the section is folded occupies a groove 15 in the section 6. The section 6 is formedwith a cavity 16 for the tufts of the. brush to enter into when the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 15, 1.910-

Ap'plication filed July 19, 1909. Serial No. 508,481.

brush is folded. To make this cavity or ing deep enough for the purpose mentioned and sti 1 be a le to felt the brush freely into it, I hinge at 17 normally upright sides or wings18, whose ends are curved against the sides of the front portion 19 and the rear portion 20 of the section 6. The portion 2 0 1s a spring chamber'open at its front side so that a spring 21 may be inserted from the brush casing into it, whereupon the opening is closed by an apron; or lid 22, whose upper end is bent at right angle to the apron and is secured by a'screw 24: upon a bridge 25 spanning the top of the chamber and bearing upon the stud spring. The function of the spring 21 is to press u on the upper one of two overlapping an contacting flat rocker-arms 26 and 26, which are formed on the side wings 18v and project into the spring chamber through notches 27 and 27 X in the sides of the chamber, as best shown in Figs. 4: and 5. The spring being compressed between the bridge 25 and the upper rocker arm, the wings 18 are normally eld in such positions that they form the main sides of the casing. In the bottom of the springchamber is slidingly arranged a stem 28 having at its outer end a press-button 29 and at its inner end a head to retain it in, place and to press upward under the lower rocker arm and thereby operate both arms and spread the wings 18 while the bristled portion of the brush enters the casing; suchspreading of the sides is indicated in dotted llnes in Fig. 3. -When the button is released casing may preferably have its sides flared outward toward the opening. 31 in Fig. 2 are pins holding the brush head 2 in the cavity of the blade or pan 4, so that when the brush becomes worn the pins may be pushed :out and'the old brush replaced by a new one and the pins reinserted. 1 v

From the above description it will be seen "that I provide a toothbrush that is convenient to carry in the pocket or in other small space without risk of breaking 1t as its length is reduced one-half. It will also be understood that by housing the'brush proper in the (using it is protected from dust and. dirt. and thus clean every time it is to be used. And if it should need cleaning once in a While, the screw 24: may be removed and thereby the apron and the spring, and by further removing the pins 31, the parts are all made accessible'to water and other suitable means for thorough cleansing of every part.

What I claim is 2-- In a toothbrush, the combination with a handle composed of a front and a rear section joined together, a brush head on the front section and a casing on the rear section for housing the brush head when the sections are folded; said rearsection having 'in one end a spring-chamber opening into the casing and provided with notches near the opening, a removable lid closing said opening, said casing having hinged sides' each provided with an overlapping end centacting rocker-arm extending through one of the notches into the spring-chamber, a spring in the chamber pressing upon the upper rocker arm to. hold it. down upon the lower arm, and a slidalole stem inserted in the bot- FRANK KRESS.

Witnesses A. M. CARLSEN, Tnnononn SANDER. 

